New crotch-rocket...

[Eisernkreuz]

I use the term "crotch-rocket" loosely, so don't get all mad...

I'm looking to buy my first motorcycle this summer. I'm planning on completing an MSF course before I do, though, and I was originally going to buy a new Suzuki SV650S. However, numerous experienced riders have told me not to buy new, which kinda makes sense..don't want to drop a new bike and make it into a really expensive paperweight..

I guess my point is to ask you guys for your thoughts on a decent starter bike. I've been told to stick to 600s and such, so naturally I've looked at the late-model GSXR600 and the CBR600 as well as the YZF600. I'd like to stay around 4-5 grand, and not older than a 96..and the sportbike appearance is crucial..any suggestions?

 

[budbandit]

I use the term "crotch-rocket" loosely, so don't get all mad...

I'm looking to buy my first motorcycle this summer. I'm planning on completing an MSF course before I do, though, and I was originally going to buy a new Suzuki SV650S. However, numerous experienced riders have told me not to buy new, which kinda makes sense..don't want to drop a new bike and make it into a really expensive paperweight..

I guess my point is to ask you guys for your thoughts on a decent starter bike. I've been told to stick to 600s and such, so naturally I've looked at the late-model GSXR600 and the CBR600 as well as the YZF600. I'd like to stay around 4-5 grand, and not older than a 96..and the sportbike appearance is crucial..any suggestions?

Hey Bro, I was going to comment that this is not really a squid question but if you insist on getting a 600 supersport for your first bike then I guess you are a squid after all.

One of the fucktarded things about Kalifornia is how concerned everyone is with image. You get your Gixxer 6 or whatever and I will still thrash your newbie ass up and down down 9, 84 or whatever with a cruiser until your wobbly newbie self eventually learns how to ride - which will take some time. What some fail to realize is that someone who cannot ride but is nonetheless on an "expert" bike looks considerably less cool than someone who cannot ride but is on a more appropriate bike.

In the interim you WILL drop your plastic fantastic blingathon R and you will incur significant repair costs. You will also have a bike with little to no bottom end or midrange and will have an awkward riding position and it will be harder to pick up after you drop it.

Now, if you are smart, what you will do is get yourself an older bike with little to no plastic, be it a standard, cruiser or even enduro, and ride that for a while. At low speed and in town something like a cruiser twin is likely to give you more performance than a supersport 600, especially off the line. Then when you drop the damn thing not only will it be cheaper to fix but it will also be far easier to pick up. It will even be easier to ride and harder to drop.

However, if you insist on getting a sportbike for your first ride just make sure that you have enough money to pay the increased insurance premiums that you will get nailed with after you make a claim to replace busted plastic.

Listen to those who have been there and done that or don't, the choice is yours.

Good luck and hope to see you on the road.

 

[Eisernkreuz]

"Good luck and hope to see you on the road" ...that line makes it that much more difficult on me to be pissed off at you. Thanks for your input, I really do like to hear the other side of the story. So far, people have told me that a 600 would be a great first bike and that it wouldn't lose it's appeal and bore me after a year.

I really can't afford to switch bikes every year, so the one I buy now will be with me for a while. I could go with a Yamaha XV250 Virago for two grand and ride a bike that looks like ass for a while, so you cool guys can still be cooler, and I'd be sick of it in five months.

What you underestimate is the wealth and abundance of free time I have..and at 40mpg, I can be on a bike the entire fucking day, getting that crucial experience you deem will take me too long to acquire. As for whooping my ass on 9 or 84, I wholeheartedly applaud your superior cornering ability...

With no sarcasm now, I really do thank you for your input. I'll keep it in mind as I keep combing the classifieds. However, I'd rather place new plastics orders than ride Harley look-alikes.

 

[budbandit]

"Good luck and hope to see you on the road" ...that line makes it that much more difficult on me to be pissed off at you. Thanks for your input, I really do like to hear the other side of the story. So far, people have told me that a 600 would be a great first bike and that it wouldn't lose it's appeal and bore me after a year.

I really can't afford to switch bikes every year, so the one I buy now will be with me for a while. I could go with a Yamaha XV250 Virago for two grand and ride a bike that looks like ass for a while, so you cool guys can still be cooler, and I'd be sick of it in five months.

What you underestimate is the wealth and abundance of free time I have..and at 40mpg, I can be on a bike the entire fucking day, getting that crucial experience you deem will take me too long to acquire. As for whooping my ass on 9 or 84, I wholeheartedly applaud your superior cornering ability...

With no sarcasm now, I really do thank you for your input. I'll keep it in mind as I keep combing the classifieds. However, I'd rather place new plastics orders than ride Harley look-alikes.

After having seen so many nice nice sportbikes all thrashed, battered and crashed not to mention the cost in skin and bones I had to try. In the end, everyone makes their own choice.

Please consider bikes such as the Yamada Radian/Seca, Kawasaki 500 Ninja, SV 650, and even stuff like KLR 650.

If you get a bike from a source such as Craigs List it is often possible to sell it for close to what you paid for it, making the later upgrade fairly affordable.

BTW if you get a bike with a pipe and jet kit good luck getting 40mpg.

After you get your bike and get comfortable riding it in the twisties, come on out and join us on one of our group rides!

Have fun but be careful!

 

[Max Smiley]

I really can't afford to switch bikes every year, so the one I buy now will be with me for a while. I could go with a Yamaha XV250 Virago for two grand and ride a bike that looks like ass for a while, so you cool guys can still be cooler, and I'd be sick of it in five months.

you are newbie so don't understand.

my suggestion is to get a dirt bike 250 - 400, motard it and sport ride yourself to happy oblivion. put the knobbies back on and do the dirt for awhile. back and forth. don't knock supermoto till you try it. every stoplight is a gran prix race and you'll still be under the limit so no tickets! ok, slight exagerration, but if you get the right SM and mod it just so, I can almost guarantee you will not be bored in five months. unless you're picking up so many race day trophies your living room is full. or you're not riding the right kind of roads. or you're in jail, license revoked from too much wheelie.

try one if you can. the perfect urban assault weapon. not bad newbie bike as long as go 4-stroke and can handle size of bike. softer insurance rates. etc. etc. etc.

 

[assnelbo]

Get an experienced rider to test ride them for you. As I was stating on another thread, when I bought my FZR, I test rode a lot of bikes and all but two were bent. Also, if you are not mechanically inclined, get a mechanic to look at it. I think Alanrider will do it for free, hit him up...


Here is a link to a used motorcycle evaluation guide, but it is longwinded and not always practical. Some good info, though.

I had a Radian for a first bike and agree that it's acool starter bike. It's still relatively fast, but it won;t tach up real quick, and it has a comfortable seating position.


http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html#1

 

[Preston]

Just buy a Honda 900RR and you are set!!!!

 

[Holeshot]

You can start on a 600 if you've got some previous ridding experience.

If not, go with an SV650S. Those are killer bikes and certainly not too powerfull (anything less than that will really just piss you off after a few months...)

 

[NumbNuts_420]

my experience...

i started riding around 14 and my first bike was a 50cc enduro. Then i got an old ass 1976 yamaha 2 stroke, with many mopeds in between, and some other dirt bikes. I 99% guarantee that you WILL drop your first bike. I dropped(meaning crashed) all my bikes including my first street bike which was a Katana 600. I knew i would drop it thats why i bought it, and i didnt care what it looked like afterwards. Heh, its a shitty thing but it will happen at least once.

If you have no experience at all, id take the recommended advice above.

 

[mikee]

If you're really interested in the SV and want to spend the cash, 4 grand would get you a decent used one, get the standard not the "S" model. It has no plastic to mess up and you can put frame sliders on it, a good idea for a newbie. Ergos are killer, especially for a newbie, the motor is super friendly and when you're ready you can always buy add-ons like a windscreen, pipe, filter, etc.

This also depends on your size and prior experience too. After all you may want to start on a Ninja 250 if you have no experience.

 

[ssteve]

my bike is for sale now and it would be the perfect first bike for you, i know because it is my first bike and it was perfect for me and i was in your same position. it is a 92 cbr 600f2 with many of mods done to it. it has a solo tail which helps in the looks department and you shouldnt even consider riding a pasenger for some time to come. the suspension consists of an ohlins rear shock and showa front forks that have been gone through by race tech,steel braided brake lines, 49 state cams and a two brother racing system, tinted windscreen,vortex race style gas cap, 520 chain coversion with 4 up in the rear, and the best part is its primer black and its got brand new vortex frame sliders so you can drop it all you want and it wont cost you an arm and a leg each time. i am asking 2700 but give me a call and we can work with the price some. dont under estimate the older bikes man, this thing will wheelie for days and stoppies fairly easy, and for most bikes the performance depends on the rider. steve@707-486-1775

 

[Adower]

I took the MSF course and had zero bike riding experience. With their teaching I learned how to ride those bikes really fast. The instructors even nick named me Mr. Laguna Seca. I just recently started riding 2-3 months ago and I started on a YZF600R which I am currently still riding. If your cautious and dont have a heavy right hand you can start on a 600.

 

[Dragon]

I have one of these for sale if you are interested: it's in cherry condition!

 

[Eisernkreuz]

Oh wow...

That looks really sweet...

I don't have the money right now (UC upped its fees another 25% ) so I'll be on the sidelines a little while longer...

 

[gixxersix]

i got a bike for ya

 

[trkdydumper]

hey get a bike that makes you happy and just be carefull... take some classes and dont' trip off poeple who pass you especially those who rub it in..... ALL (every single one of us) was there at one point. I took some classes and went to some track days and then i went to my liter class bike and to this day it's still to much bike but i love it way more than i loved my smaller bikes... that's why we buy them... buy something that you'll love in the looks department and just realize all the bad things that might come with it. Like duc owners know they pay up the ass for maintenance but they dont' buy the bike for that reason they buy them to look cool and most of them do. im tired... buy a honda!

 

[hiccup]

(Don't give my opinion much weight-- still don't have a bike)

Buy something ugly, then see if you still like the idea of a motorcycle.
Don't risk your life just to look cool. (Because if that's the objective, you're not likely to look cool for long.)
Be careful about looking for a 600, too. There are some scary fast sixes and some more forgiveable sixes. --Guess which column the gixxer goes under.

Anyway this has been debated to death here on the forums, and I don't mean to say that you can't possibly start on these bikes...it's just that I often see kids on brand new supersports who obviously can't handle them. Know your limits, man. And for Christ's sake budget a bit of money for a full set of safety gear!
Good luck out there, and sorry if I've incorrectly assumed your motivations.


Boy that last sentence was wordy. ld-blush

 

[BrazenC5]

whats up Webberstyle....

Think about getting a good lookin (92-95) 600 for 3k and using the rest of the money on track days/classes? After you get comfortable with handling the bike riding around on the street. Get out to the track as soon as possible....not only is it so much more fun, but you REALLY get the time, practice, supervison, and some education to improve your skills. Your skills will increase dramatically, and become a much better, more confident rider on the street alot faster than just street riding and learning on your own.

I took my first track classes this past June, and the level of improvement is amazing. Skills practiced on the track are used every day I ride on the street, the street seems to slow down around me while Im looking way far ahead in a turn, and I have more time for adjustments if necessary. Guiding the bike is requires less effort from using more back,stomach and leg muscles, etc.

Im far from an expert/racer, but its just the beginning as I have signed up from another 2 track days in Oct.

With a 3k bike and some track days, you'll be riding circles around new bikes with unexperienced riders. Now that looks cool!!!!

 

[Btong]

If you are a totally new rider i would tell you to get something smaller then a 600. If you have to get a 600 start out with a f4i. I agree with the other fellow barf members get something used. After you're able to really ride then pick up something new and something you could grow into.

 

[AnotherKat750]

Katana's are considered to be very newbie friendly bike. Let me know if you decide on one.